


November 2016

by ArtisticVicu



Series: Monthly Prompt Writings [2]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Gen, Memory Loss, Original Character(s), Post-Apocalypse, based on an rp, end of the rainbow, multiple stories
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-21
Updated: 2016-11-28
Packaged: 2021-03-01 01:33:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,245
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23416777
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArtisticVicu/pseuds/ArtisticVicu
Summary: Each chapter is a different story.Chapter 1:They said that if you saw one, your life was forfeit. I never understood what they had meant by that, never connected the dots till I was older.Chapter 2:There were gasps and low whispers with the possible sound of someone fainting. The hand between her wings became heavier. It was too long and too soon when that low, gruff voice asked, “These are her wings, aren’t they?”Chapter 3:40521XXe20913 – I just that today marks the 207th day of experiments and that I have started having a hard time remembering things. I think something is seriously wrong. I can hardly remember what I did yesterday and the others are starting to gain a sort of dazed way of going about things. We talk about things that I know we’ve talked about before. I’ve started rereading my entries and I find that I’ve been rewriting entries. We haven’t been making any progress. Any that we think we’re making has already been made. We’re going in circles. I’m starting to fear that I may lose my mind completely.
Series: Monthly Prompt Writings [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1684405





	1. Rainbow

They said that if you saw one, your life was forfeit. I never understood what they had meant by that, never connected the dots till I was older.  
  
I was told things had changed when I was only two. I don’t remember what had happened nor what life had been like before but I do remember the fear, and the confusion. I remember the quiet games and constant moving. I remember boarded up windows and gray skies and never being able to play outside. I never questioned it.  
  
I remember the older kids always having issues, the adults always getting into fights. I never understood what they were going through, why they had such an issue with it all. It was just how things were.  
  
That is, till the rainbows started to appear.  
  
I was 16 when the first one shot across the sky. I had learned from old books about weather phenomena so I knew, scientifically, what caused a rainbow: reflected, refracted, and dispersed white light in water droplets causes the visible spectrum to become visible. To be honest, I had always wanted to see one. But, then, I had always wanted to see the stars and feel the sun against my skin, but when the first rainbow cut across the sky and we were suddenly getting news that it was not a sign of hope, I pushed my hopes of ever seeing something beyond the gray sky to the back of my mind.  
  
They said that those that had seen the rainbow vanished. No one knows how or why or what even caused the rainbow to appear beneath the gray sky. There had been no rain, no sunlight to reflect within the water droplets, nothing. They’re also saying it wasn’t an isolated incident. With what primitive communication we have, we were getting world that a rainbow had appeared all over the planet at relatively the same time and those that had supposedly glimpsed the phenomenon vanished.  
  
Many were speculating that those that had seen the rainbows were dead.  
  
It wasn’t till I was 20 that I questioned this thought. We went four years without the odd rainbows appearing again. At least, in the areas we were traveling in. It seemed the rainbows followed us, though, as word reached us as areas we passed were losing populous. People were blaming the rainbows but no one was giving forth actual testament that rainbows had been appearing.  
  
Then, one night, something happened that had me disbelieving that thought completely.  
  
I had gone out. I couldn’t sleep and I was feeling restless. I felt we were staying in one place for too long and felt the urge to move on but I couldn’t leave my family. We were a unit made up of blood and choice. So, I snuck out. By the time you’re 7, you know sneaking out at all is a horrible idea. It’s drilled into you by the ripe age of 16 to never be out at night alone and by the time you were my age, you wouldn’t even give it a passing thought. It was just nature.  
  
But something was urging me outside and so I slipped out. I remember the adrenaline in my chest, stealing my breath as I took in the world that was supposed to be pitch black with night. Instead, it was illuminated by plants and animals that glowed. I could see as clearly in what we called night as I could in what we called day. It was magnificent. I had no idea that the plant life we barely saw in our travels could do such things at night.  
  
I wandered far in my awe, the need for sleep long forgotten. I eventually found myself in the top of a tree, looking towards the once gray sky. There, my eyes caught glimpses of starry night beyond brief breaks in the gray sky. It was then that the realization hit me that the gray sky we knew was only a layer of cloud. How odd that such a thing created such a gray atmosphere during the day and such a vibrant scene at night.  
  
It was addicting.  
  
After that point, there was hardly a night that I didn’t sneak out. I got really good at hiding my excursions. The only people that noticed the change in my demeanor because of it were my dad, my closest sister, and my best friend. My dad was the first one to notice. He noticed after the second night and cornered me. He didn’t know what I was doing but he could tell something had changed and he was worried. I assured him it was nothing more than just finally sleeping better, which wasn’t a lie. At that point, I had crashed after both outings and had, for once, slept without worry. That didn’t help my addition.  
  
My best friend and my closest sister cornered me two weeks later. I had gone out a total of ten times at this point. My sister had caught sight of me sneaking out twice and my best friend had noticed the change about a week in. My best friend had gone to my sister first before they came to me. They wanted to make sure I was going to be ok, that I was safe. I assured them but I couldn’t tell them why I went out. While I was willing to risk my own life to catch glimpses of the stars and see the beauty of the night, I was not willing to risk either of theirs.  
  
It had been futile to even attempt.  
  
A month and a half after they had cornered me, my sister and best friend somehow managed to follow me out without waking anyone or me noticing till we were already a decent pace away from where the others were resting. I had tried to urge them back but they could be as stubborn as me and so I showed them the wonders I had grown addicted to.  
  
My sister wasn’t fond of climbing the trees like my best friend and I were so there were several nights that my sister would settle in a clearing to watch the skies as my best friend and I settled in the canopy.  
  
It was up in those branches that my best friend kissed me. It was up in those trees that my best friend became my life partner. It was out in that night that the three of us made a pact to always keep an eye out for others itching to slink from the group and get away at night. The night could be just as dangerous as the gray day. There were still creatures and deadly plants and there were several nights we came back with injuries we had to hide.  
  
And still we heard tales of the rainbows.  
  
When I was 22, I had a falling out from my family. It had been a massive mistake on my part but what else was I suppose to do. My partner, my sister, and I had come across a child lost in the woods. We couldn’t just leave them out there. So, at the risk of everything, we brought the child with us and explained to the group how we had come across her and why we had come across her.  
  
We were kicked out.  
  
The group split nearly in half at that point. My dad came with me, as did my younger siblings and some of my older. Those too steeped in the old ways went on their way. Those that were open to what we had done stayed. In the end, we went from a comfortable group of nearly 60 to a group just barely over 20. My partner’s family had disowned them but my dad was there to state that my partner was already part of our family so it didn’t matter.  
  
We didn’t go out that night.  
  
I can’t remember when it shifted for us but we started traveling at night. We realized that we could travel farther and longer at night. We got used to the plant and animal life. We got complacent.  
  
My sister had taken the child in but my partner and I helped her raise the child. Malnourished and clearly abandoned, the three of us worked hard to make sure the child regained a healthy weight and proper clothing. Soon the child was playing with the others, keeping up and even surpassing them in some of their games. It was amazing.  
  
It should have been our first warning.  
  
It was as the night was drawing to a close five years later and my partner and I were sitting outside of our shelter as the others settled that we saw it.  
  
I don’t know how to describe it but it was definitely very similar to how it had been to see the stars for the first time.  
  
A magnificent rainbow arched across the sky as night turned to day. Full and vibrant, my partner and eye stared at it in awe as we clung to each other. It had been years since we had any communication with any others and yet the fear from years ago was still there. We watched it till it faded away and even then we sat there shaking, clinging to each other. But I found that I wasn’t shaking out of fear. As I looked into my partner’s eyes, I realized it was joy, just as it was in my partner’s eyes. That rainbow had filled us with a joy neither of us understood.  
  
We found a short while later that my sister and the child had seen it as well. It was shortly thereafter that the child divulged that it had been abandoned because it had seen a rainbow just like that one before. I looked from my sister to my partner and the same resolve was in their eyes as the resolve in my heart.  
  
I woke my dad and informed him what had happened. I told him the four of us were going to slip away while the others were asleep to see where these rainbows had come from. I could feel the urge in my bones. My dad had wrapped us all in tight hugs but somehow our commotion had woken the others. We told them what had happened and, to our immense surprise and relief, the group wanted to go with us. So, our path changed and the following night, we made our way towards the origin of the rainbows.  
  
It wasn’t till two weeks later that I had an epiphany. They had once said that if you see a rainbow, your life is forfeit. I never understood that till I watched the 15th rainbow I had ever seen cross the morning horizon. Seeing the rainbows filled you with immense joy and peace as well as an urge to follow them. It was hard to resist and that first morning on our trek had proven my instinct correct and the rest of our party had caught their first glimpse of a rainbow as the night turned to day.  
  
It was about three years later when we finally reached the place where the rainbows had been coming from. We had caught sight of it about a month back but now we were walking right up to the edge. I don’t know what this massive structure is, nor these people that are coming to greet us are, but I do know that, whatever those rainbows had been, they had been bringing us to a place of hope. The rainbows had brought us to a place we could settle and call home.  
  
If anyone finds this and this massive structure is no longer here, look for the rainbows. When you see one, you are forfeiting your life. You are forfeiting your life for a better one, for a safer one; for a life out from under the gray skies of planet Earth.


	2. Here they come, Days of peace

She checked her weapon, back pressed up against the remains of a wall. The sound of weapon fire pinging off the wall and scraping the edge filled her hearing as she snapped the pieces back together. The weapon charged in her hand as she pressed against the wall, listening. A slight lull fell in the weapon fire and she leaned out, taking shots as soon as she had sights for them.  
  
Three of the enemy fell before she was forced back into cover. She moved along the wall, keeping low and out of sight as she moved to a different vantage point. The other edge wasn’t being targeted now and she used that to her advantage, crossing the gap as she took out two others before they noticed and re-aimed at her. A shot grazed her back as she moved to the next stretch of cover.  
  
Barely even fazed by the wound, she took off running. The exit was well covered and clear. The hallway echoed with her heavy footfall and even breathing but she strained her ears, doing what she could to try and make out any other sounds.  
  
Night air slapped her in the face. Surprised, she came to a stuttered halt, looking around. Not at all expecting to make it out, she did her best to get orientated as quickly as possible. There was noise behind her, not leaving her much time. Taking off, Adaeze kicked hard into the ground, wings unfurling from her back with searing pain. She ignored them, shoving her feet harder into the ground, trying to get as far as quickly as she could.  
  
The wind somehow made the new appendages sting more and Adaeze shoved the pain to the back of her mind as her green eyes bled into their natural red. Magic choked the air around her and, with a crack, the world shifted and she collapsed several hundred miles from where she had been, shaking and in even greater pain.  
  
“Adaeze!” “Oh goodness, is she alright?” “What-ARE THOSE WINGS?!?!” “Everyone calm down and give her room.” “We have to do something!” “Where did she come from?” “Can you contact her father?”  
  
“Ada. Hey, Adaeze. Come on, respond to me sweetheart,” a low, gruff voice coaxed, cold hands resting on her head and between her wings.  
  
She groaned. “Please tell me my father was not contacted yet.”  
  
“Not yet, sweet cheeks,” the low, gruff voice assured. She opened her eyes, meeting a mismatched gaze and a worried expression. It didn’t lessen as her vision cleared. The pale face above her was far paler than it should be and she tried to push herself upright. The hand between her wings pressed down. “Not yet. We need to make sure your wings aren’t gonna damage you or get more damaged.”  
  
Adaeze shuddered, burying her face in the crook of her arm. The hand on her head stroked through her hair. “Where’s Little Miss, sweetheart?”  
  
An unnatural hush fell over the room. The silence stretched on as Adaeze fought with the lump in her throat. Eventually, she croaked out, “She’s not coming back.”  
  
There were gasps and low whispers with the possible sound of someone fainting. The hand between her wings became heavier. It was too long and too soon when that low, gruff voice asked, “These are her wings, aren’t they?”  
  
Adaeze choked on the sudden sob.  
  
Hours passed in a blur and Adaeze found herself coming to by a knock on the door frame. She turned, looking at the three men there. The man that had knocked was standing in the entry while the other two remained out in the hall, almost to the opposite wall. Adaeze focused her attention on the man in the entry. “Hello Father.”  
  
His eyes were not on her but on her new appendages. He stepped forward, a careful hand running over the still healthy feathers. “How…”  
  
She shook her head. “I don’t know. But it was beyond painful, for the both of us.”  
  
“And the angel?” he asked, suddenly worried.  
  
She shook her head again. Her father cupped her cheek before pulling her into a hug, wary of touching her wings. “I’m so sorry, my child. I wish I could fix this.”  
  
Adaeze tightened her grip on her father before pulling away. “She was going to succumb to the Corruption anyways. This, in the end, was a mercy.”  
  
He didn’t push the subject. Merely, he turned her around and examined the work that had been done. “How long did they say?”  
  
“They don’t know.” She looked back at one of the appendages. “We’ll just have to wait and see what my body does. They believe we’re in the clear if they haven’t already been rejected but they’re not sure about lasting effects from the mixed blood.”  
  
He nodded and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I’ll be close. You have to let me know if there is anything I can do.”  
  
“I will.”  
  
The man left, leaving the two men standing outside the door. They entered, the taller of the pair removing his hat. Adaeze offered the brothers a gentle smile. “What can I do for you two?”  
  
“Your old man asked us to keep you company,” the stout of the pair stated, the low, gruff voice from a few hours prior leaving the man’s lips. “We brought some games.”  
  
The tall of the pair placed the bag he was carrying on the desk, inquiring in his higher, nasal voice, “We figured it would pass the time faster.”  
  
“Bro’s idea,” the stout of the pair commented with a shrug, smiling fondly. The taller enjoyed the praise but it was clear there was a bit of trepidation with accepting all of it. Adaeze stepped forward and stumbled. She was not used to the weight of the wings, nor how they seemed to move on their own. Cold hands kept her upright and she met the unmatched gaze again. He frowned, asking gently, “You alright, sweetheart?”  
  
Adaeze nodded, straightening. “Not used to these things.” She shuddered as one brushed against her arm. “May never be.”  
  
“That is alright,” the taller assured, placing a heavy hand on her shoulder. “After all, there will be plenty of time to adjust to them.”  
  
The stout man frowned. “Bro, we’re in the middle of a war.”  
  
But the taller shook his head, pulling out a letter from a pocket. “Here they come, days of peace.”  
  
She took the letter, finding it contained a flier that mirrored the words the taller just spoke. Adaeze looked up from the letter written in a very familiar hand to stare at the taller that just beamed at her. The stout man took the letter and read over it before looking the flier over.  
  
“Bro, I don’t think this is a good thing.”  
  
The taller waved his brother off. “They do not realize that we will be bringing the peace they are talking about.”  
  
Adaeze shared a look with the taller’s brother. She offered the taller a tight smile. “I hope so.” She caught a glimpse of a wing twitching behind her. “I truly hope so after all we’ve gone through.


	3. Remember November

He woke up to a pounding headache and a view of the room from the floor. He groaned, not at all recalling how he had ended up on his stomach passed out in a room that was a wreck. He dragged his hands up to press flat against the floor near his shoulders, pushing against the unrelenting surface to counter his current position.  
  
He hissed as his body complained but he managed to at least get himself up to sit on his heels. The room around him was too dim for him to discern any details of the mess around him but it appeared he was in some sort of office or lab. He wasn’t sure which he preferred.  
  
Rubbing at his face, he got up only to discover his legs were really not happy with him. He nearly connected his face with the table he had grabbed at to keep himself upright. Grumbling, he put his weight on the flat surface and at least got his feet underneath him.  
  
There were papers strewn everywhere over the surface, books lying open and on top one another and random objects all about. Some objects were even buried under the mess. He squinted, trying to gain better sight in the darkness but it did little. He reached about, looking for anything to give light. His hand brushed over something that rolled off the table and clattered to the floor. He cursed under his breath, stepping away from the table and feeling about the floor before his hands curled around a cold cylinder. He frowned, running his fingers over it. Seemed he was in luck as he clicked the flashlight on. He winced at the sudden light but swept the light beam over the room, discovering it was indeed a lab. And if he was being honest, it looked like a tornado had swept through.  
  
He frowned, spying shattered glass and broken machinery along with tattered pages and disheveled books. There were stains everywhere of all sorts of colors and he really didn’t want to know what had happened here. Something reflected the light of his flashlight and his frown deepened as confusion pulled at his expression. He focused the beam on what had caught his attention and confirmed that the glint had not been from glass or machinery.  
  
It took a while with watching his steps but he eventually made it across the room. He picked up what looked like an expensive journal by the spine. It had metal detailing across the spine as well as a complicated lock that appeared to have been shattered. He ran his hand over the hard cover, taking in the details.  
  
He opened the cover, looking the inside of the cover over before flipping slowly through the pages. There weren’t any identification marks, no “This book belongs to ________” but the first true page was full of writing. The upper left corner had numbers scrawled on it that correlated with the two sets of numbers written in the left margin at the top of what appeared to be two separate units of text. He flipped through the pages without reading, realizing that the numbers referred to dates and that the dates in the left margin marked the start of a new entry. Some were a paragraph, if that. Others were pages long, pages filled with scrawled writing, equations, poor sketches, diagrams, and broken sentences. He started reading parts, settling on a clear bit of floor as he became engrossed with what was written.  
  
This sense of foreboding settled over him and got heavier with every page turn.  
  
As he reached the halfway mark, an entry caught his attention and he stared at the words before him.  
  
 _40521XXe20913 – I just that today marks the 207th day of experiments and that I have started having a hard time remembering things. I think something is seriously wrong. I can hardly remember what I did yesterday and the others are starting to gain a sort of dazed way of going about things. We talk about things that I know we’ve talked about before. I’ve started rereading my entries and I find that I’ve been rewriting entries. We haven’t been making any progress. Any that we think we’re making has already been made. We’re going in circles. I’m starting to fear that I may lose my mind completely._  
  
He hoped whoever had written this had managed to fix the issue but as he continued on, he found that they had not been able to.  
  
The entries started becoming sparse and short. Fragmented, even. He came to a page with only two entries on it separated by a good chunk of blank space, an inconsistency with the other entries.  
  
 _71921XXe31356 – We are not being able to remember anything now. Everything is being recorded. Everything.  
  
  
  
81021XX1247 – I have made a horrible mistake._  
  
He frowned and turned the page. It was blank. There was a good inch of pages remaining and he took the remaining pages in hand and started to rapidly flip pages, gaze looking for any discrepancies. About two thirds of the way through, a page had something heavily scrawled on it. He halted his flipping and slowly turned the pages back looking for whatever had caught his eye. He laid the book flat in his hand, gaping at the two words scrawled out with a heavy, rapid hand to take up as much of the page as possible.  
  
 _REMEMBER NOVEMBER  
_  
The sense of foreboding was suffocating but he didn’t understand. Remember November? What did that mean? And when had that been scrawled?  
  
He closed the book, running his fingers over the cover and hoping whoever had written those entries had found peace in whatever form it had come in.  
  
He got up and stretched, his body still complaining but not as stiff. He made his way towards the door, riffling through some of the papers only to not understand any of it. He found more pages with the same handwriting but none of them told him anything useful.  
  
He left the room before he came across the file folder that contained a picture of himself with different pages scrawled in two separate hands. One was neat, orderly and the other was the lazy strokes of those in the book he had discovered.


End file.
